Winter Storage Checklist

[kails]

Hey, I remember a thread from last year where someone linked to a 3 page pdf with a checklist of things to do before storing your car for the winter.

Does anyone still have that?

[2EFNFAST]

3 pages? Lol - just drive your car onto some pieces of wood (or carpet, never tried carpet but some people swear by it) so they don't develop flat spots from the concrete and you're good. if you've got a car that likes to eat batteries, like a corvette, hook up a deltran or c-tek battery tender.

[syritis]

or do what i'm doing, start it up every couple weeks. pull it out onto the driveway. pull it back in.
and i did pull the water from my cooling system and replace it with actual coolant.

i thought the carpet thing was for stopping the humidity from building up under your car?!?!

[blubs]

.

[A2VR6]

I wouldnt start up the car at all if you plan on just parking it all winter. A car that has been sitting for a extended period of time wont have much oil in the bearings or in the oil lines therefore there wont be much protection when you start it.

What I did when I parked my car was:

-Top off the gas to reduce the chance of condensation in the tank

-Run the air conditioner for about 10-15 minutes on the last drive to ensure all the moving parts get the lubricant circulated so the seals dont dry out.

-Stuff a rag into the airbox intake and exhaust tips to keep mice out

-Disconnected the battery

-Put the car in gear and left the parking brake off to the pad doesnt get rusted to the rotors

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by syritis

or do what i'm doing, start it up every couple weeks. pull it out onto the driveway. pull it back in.


Starting it every couple of weeks is a bad idea I thought...Nothing gets to operating temps...and you actually foul plugs and dirty the oil faster...plus the added wear and tear on motor components from the increased amount of dry starts isn't worth it...

What I do...

Fill up the tank with regular, top up all fluids, oil change, plug my exhaust with a towel and then steel wool, fill up the tires to max pressure, remove my faceplate, my steering wheel, pull the battery (bring it inside) and lock it up...

Oh and obviously have it clean before storage..."stuff it" into a corner of the garage...and torture myself by seeing her sitting all winter...that's what I do...And it has always worked for me...

I should say, the garage shes stored in is not heated...but it is extra insulated...dunno if that makes a difference...

[saiyajin]

^^^ any issues starting it after the long period of inactive status?? :dunno:

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by saiyajin

^^^ any issues starting it after the long period of inactive status?? :dunno:


Nope...in the past issues I have had were the battery not keeping charge over the winter...but now I have learned to take the battery inside...and trickle charge it...

[V6-BoI]

Originally posted by A2VR6
I wouldnt start up the car at all if you plan on just parking it all winter. A car that has been sitting for a extended period of time wont have much oil in the bearings or in the oil lines therefore there wont be much protection when you start it.




Originally posted by EK 2.0



Starting it every couple of weeks is a bad idea I thought...Nothing gets to operating temps...and you actually foul plugs and dirty the oil faster...plus the added wear and tear on motor components from the increased amount of dry starts isn't worth it...



Really? I thought it was a good idea to start the car up every once in a while when it's parked. I started it every week last year when I parked it for the winter, and left it running for about 5-10 minutes. Saw the temperature gauge climb up a few notches and gave the engine a few good revs, and backed the car in and outta the garage and pulled it back in.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by V6-BoI



Really? I thought it was a good idea to start the car up every once in a while when it's parked. I started it every week last year when I parked it for the winter, and left it running for about 5-10 minutes. Saw the temperature gauge climb up a few notches and gave the engine a few good revs, and backed the car in and outta the garage and pulled it back in.



:werd: was what i was planning to do this year but seems like starting it once a week isnt recommended.


hoping more ppl chime in with some of their current routines :nut:

[kwazy]

In toronto there are parking garages that let you store your car there. They plug the batter to a trickle charger etc and every week or so, they start it up and drive it inside the facility until the car reaches operating temps and then re-park it.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by V6-BoI





Really? I thought it was a good idea to start the car up every once in a while when it's parked. I started it every week last year when I parked it for the winter, and left it running for about 5-10 minutes. Saw the temperature gauge climb up a few notches and gave the engine a few good revs, and backed the car in and outta the garage and pulled it back in.

Well whats worse? starting a car with little to no lubrication in the bearings once in the spring or 6 to 7 times during the winter? I'd think it would be fine for the engine if you started and run the car a couple times per week but once every 2 or 3 weeks is going to be pretty hard on the engine. Even if you do run it a couple times a week, unless you you run it for a while (ie. 20 mins) your going to probably leave water/condensation in the exhaust system which could lead to corrosion.

[FiveFreshFish]

You can inflate the tires over the stated maximum pressure for storage. Just put a sticky note on your dash to remind yourself to adjust them to the proper pressure prior to driving.

[SRT10Killer]

if your going to store them for a long period of time(6-7) months. Say you don't ever start it for 6-7 months and when the time comes, can't you just leak a little oil out of the pan and add equivalent amounts to lube the bearings ? Would this work or is there another method ?

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by SRT10Killer
if your going to store them for a long period of time(6-7) months. Say you don't ever start it for 6-7 months and when the time comes, can't you just leak a little oil out of the pan and add equivalent amounts to lube the bearings ? Would this work or is there another method ?

If your really that concerned you could pull the spark plugs and crank it over a few times to get some oil pressure. No compression is easier on the rod bearings.

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by A2VR6


If your really that concerned you could pull the spark plugs and crank it over a few times to get some oil pressure. No compression is easier on the rod bearings.

What if you disconnected the wire from the distributor cap to the coil? The engine would crank but never fire - would this be the same as removing the spark plugs?

[Schwa]

Anyway that was me posting the thread. Car is parked now in a heated garage. It won't be started again until April!

I put in fuel stabilizer, overpressured the tires, had it washed and waxed last week, threw a car cover on it, and took the battery out.

[mr2mike]

Originally posted by Schwa

I put in fuel stabilizer, overpressured the tires, had it washed and waxed last week, threw a car cover on it, and took the battery out.

That's all you need to do. I also leave the park brake off, turn off the heater, turbo timer, boost controller, dvd/cd players and have a couple mouse deterrent devices around the garage. It's not heated so there's really no desire for them to come into that garage but just to be safe.
Then in the spring, change the oil before you start the car. Pull the coil wire (or disable the efi system) crank the car till your oil light goes out. Then set it up and start it.

[2EFNFAST]

Is there any real point in fuel stabilizer though if it's only sitting for 4 or 5mths? I was going to use some, but I've read about them causing fuel systems to gum up with a white residue that has to be cleaned out.

This may be crappy logic, but my 16yr old John Deere GT275 sits out in the shed without use from October to May, full tank of 91, and each year she starts like a champ (granted, the first startup requires several session of cranking, but she's never failed to start eventually after sitting for long periods of time)

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST


What if you disconnected the wire from the distributor cap to the coil? The engine would crank but never fire - would this be the same as removing the spark plugs?

No, because with the plugs in you'd have compression and there would be some load on the bearings.


Originally posted by 2EFNFAST


Is there any real point in fuel stabilizer though if it's only sitting for 4 or 5mths? I was going to use some, but I've read about them causing fuel systems to gum up with a white residue that has to be cleaned out.



For that amount of time there is no need to put fuel stabilizer into your gas. Today's Gasoline should be fine with only 4 to 5 months of storage

[whiskas]

Originally posted by EK 2.0
but now I have learned to take the battery inside...and trickle charge it...

Don't take the battery inside your house, they give off nasty gasses when they charge.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by whiskas

Don't take the battery inside your house, they give off nasty gasses when they charge.


This I know...It's in a well ventilated room in my parents basement..

[V6-BoI]

Originally posted by A2VR6


Well whats worse? starting a car with little to no lubrication in the bearings once in the spring or 6 to 7 times during the winter? I'd think it would be fine for the engine if you started and run the car a couple times per week but once every 2 or 3 weeks is going to be pretty hard on the engine. Even if you do run it a couple times a week, unless you you run it for a while (ie. 20 mins) your going to probably leave water/condensation in the exhaust system which could lead to corrosion.

Hmm.. yeah that's true. I never left it on for like 20 minutes, maybe left it on for about 5, max 10 minutes. But I'm not gonna be parking my car this winter. Only reason I did it last year cuz I couldn't afford winter tires.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by V6-BoI


Hmm.. yeah that's true. I never left it on for like 20 minutes, maybe left it on for about 5, max 10 minutes. But I'm not gonna be parking my car this winter. Only reason I did it last year cuz I couldn't afford winter tires.


your scenario last year is mine this year haha hence i really want more opinions on what precautions need to be taken :nut: